A pair of Pacific Division rivals begin another chapter when the Los Angeles Kings travel to the Bay Area to seek revenge on the Western Conference-champion San Jose Sharks.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks took the NHL by storm last season after destroying the rest of the Western Conference en route to their first Stanley Cup appearance.

The Sharks fell short of their goal in the end, however, as the Pittsburgh Penguins finished them off in six games to claim Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Despite a slow start and an abysmal home record, San Jose leaned on veterans Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau for that much-needed postseason experience.

Joe Pavelski’s 38 goals were 11 more than Brent Burns’ total, who finished second on the Sharks in that category.

San Jose’s offense runs through Pavelski, who also led the team with a shot percentage of 17 last year.

Goaltender Martin Jones was also a pleasant surprise for the Sharks after coming over from the rival Los Angeles Kings in his first season as a starter.

He finished the season 37-23-4 with a 2.27 GAA.

Los Angeles Kings

After blowing the Pacific Division on the final day of the regular season last year, the Kings were bounced by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the postseason.

It was a terrible finish for Los Angeles, who cruised through the regular season with relative ease until the season’s final month. The team brought in Milan Lucic to help bolster the offense, but goals were few and far between for L.A.

Instead, the team had to rely heavily on All-Star goaltender Jonathan Quick and defenseman Drew Doughty, one of the best defenders in the NHL.

The Kings’ 2.3 goals per game allowed was the third-best in the NHL, and they’ll look to continue that success in the 2016-17 season.

Forwards Anze Kopitar and Tyler Toffoli will undoubtedly be the offensive leaders yet again for L.A., as the two combined for 132 points last season.

Add the quick stick of Jeff Carter and the toughness of Dustin Brown, and the Kings should once again be Stanley Cup contenders this year.

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The Kings finished 22-16-3 on the road last season.

The Kings finished 18-11 vs. the Pacific Division last season.

The Sharks finished 46-30-6 last season.

The Sharks finished 18-20-3 at home last season.

Free San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings NHL Hockey Prediction

The Sharks enjoyed their best season in franchise history last year, though they still fell short of their ultimate goal.

They did, however, knock off rival Los Angeles in the first round of the playoffs which energized the team going forward.

With the home crowd on their side, I think the Sharks will take care of business against their Pacific Division foes.

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The Kings will want to spoil the Sharks’ home opener, and with good reason after last year’s playoff meltdown. However, that’s just not going to happen on Wednesday. I think the Sharks will get the season going with a win.

NHL Free Score Prediction: San Jose 3 – Los Angeles 2

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About Steven Slivka

Steven is new to Capper Picks, but he is not new to sports handicapping. He used to run his own sports betting blog before joining Capper Picks. Steven was raised in Las Vegas and is a proud graduate of UNLV where he majored in journalism. He's a lifelong fan of the Oakland Raiders, L.A. Kings and Miami Marlins, though they'll always be the Florida Marlins to him. Follow @StevenSlivka on Twitter.

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